Whatever you had planned for 2019, cancel it, because you've got something better to do. The fifth annual POPSUGAR Reading Challenge is here, and it demands your undivided attention.
We're more excited than ever about this year's reading challenge, and we can't wait to show you our fresh batch of 50 book prompts. These include the standard 40 book challenge prompts plus 10 "advanced" prompts for those overachievers out there who are looking for even more ways to push their reading boundaries in 2019.
You're going to need some serious cozy-nook time to get through this list of prompts, so we hope you've got the kettle on and a soft throw at the ready to dive into books set in space and at college, books about hobbies and about ghosts, and both hot-off-the-press novels and beloved favorites. You may even discover a new genre, like "cli-fi" or "LitRPG," or finally get to that book that's been sitting on your TBR pile for months. Just remember: the point of the reading challenge is to get a few more books under your belt, try on some lesser-read genres for size, and — most importantly — to have fun!
First things first: We'd suggest joining this Goodreads group [2], which is made up of almost 24,000 readers who participate in the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge [3] every year. In addition to keeping you accountable, the group's impressively well-read and supportive members swap book ideas for the prompts and discuss their favorite (and least favorite) reads throughout the year. You'll also be able to track which books you've read and rate them on the site.
Download our printable list here [4], checking off the books as you go, and pin the handy graphic ahead for reference. Share your progress on Instagram with #popsugarreadingchallenge [5].
But don't stop there — click through for hand-picked suggestions from our editors for what to read for all 50 prompts that make up the 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge!
Looking for more reading recs? Join our exclusive POPSUGAR Book Club on Facebook [6] to chat about all things books with POPSUGAR editors and fellow readers.
— Additional reporting by Zara Patel
2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
A book becoming a movie in 2019
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple [8]
Here are more books becoming movies in 2019 [9].
A book that's published in 2019
Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid [10] (Out March 5)
Here are more books coming out in 2019 [11].
Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid [12] (2017, A Book With a Character's Name)
"Diverse cast of characters, well-written, hooked me in, and I couldn't put it down. Evelyn Hugo is a prime example of a strong woman in a time that didn't allow for one." — Naina [13]
Here they are for reference: 2015 [14], 2016 [15], 2017 [16], 2018 [17].
A book that makes you nostalgic
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky [18]
A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
Just Kids by Patti Smith [19]
A book you think should be turned into a movie
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell [20]
A book with at least 1 million ratings on Goodreads
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn [21]
Here are more books with high ratings on Goodreads [22].
A book with a plant in the title or on the cover
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [23]
A reread of a favorite book
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien [24]
A book about a hobby
Astrophysics For People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson [25]
A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger [26]
A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman [27]
A book published posthumously
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi [28]
A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie
Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren [29] (seen in Captive)
A retelling of a classic
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith [30]
A book with a question in the title
Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht [31]
A book set on a college or university campus
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour [32]
A book about someone with a superpower
The Power by Naomi Alderman [33]
A book told from multiple character POVs
The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick [34]
A book set in space
Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi [35]
A book with a two-word title
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby [36]
A book with "love" in the title
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez [37]
A book by two female authors
The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan [38]
A book with a title that contains "salty," "sweet," "bitter," or "spicy"
Sweetbitter: A Novel by Stephanie Danler [39]
A book set in Scandinavia
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman [40]
A book that takes place in a single day
The Dinner by Herman Koch [41]
A debut novel
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeymoon [42]
A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
Eragon by Christopher Paolini [43]
A book recommended by a celebrity you admire
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur [44] (Emma Watson [45])
A book featuring an amateur detective
The Frame-Up by Meghan Scott Molin [46]
A book about a family
This Is Where I Leave You: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper [47]
Here are more books about family [48]My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite [49]
A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title
The Pisces: A Novel by Melissa Broder [50]
A book with "pop," "sugar," or "challenge" in the title
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire [51]
A book that includes a wedding
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [52]
A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter
The Mothers: A Novel by Brit Bennett [53]
A ghost story
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon [54]
Here are more ghost stories [55].
A novel based on a true story
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez [56]
Here are more novels based on true stories [57].
A book revolving around a puzzle or game
The Queen of Katwe: One Girl's Triumphant Path to Becoming a Chess Champion by Tim Crothers [58]
A book you meant to read in 2018
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah [59]
A "cli-fi" (climate fiction) book
New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson [60]
Here are more cli-fi books [61].
A "choose-your-own-adventure" book
Choose Your Own Disaster by Dana Schwartz [62]
An "own voices" book
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas [63]
Read a book during the season it is set in
Night Film by Marisha Pessl [64] (set in the Fall)
A LitRPG book
Ready Player One: A Novel by Ernest Cline [65]
Here are more LitRPG books [66].
A book with no chapters/unusual chapter headings/unconventionally numbered chapters
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver [67]
A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom (e.g., "pandemonium" from Paradise Lost)
Paradise Lost by John Milton [68]
A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent
Anathem by Neal Stephenson [69]